Someone kidnaps Bree's baby son Robert.
But this is not some random, opportunistic kidnapping. Bree was targeted intentionally, and if she wants to get her son back, she needs to do exactly as she is told.
But will she be able to follow the kidnapper's unusual request?

This was a good and gripping read. The first half of the book was suspenseful and fast-paced, and it kept me on the edge of my seat.
However, I found the ending a bit flat, and therefore I couldn't justify giving it more than 3 stars, even though initially the book had a 4-star vibe.
There were some grammatical flaws that I couldn't get over (words like realer and wronger), and even though I obviously didn't base my rating on them, they were definitely spoiling my enjoyment of the story.
Overall, it was a gripping read that is bound to keep you entertained, so if you come across it, don't hesitate to check it out.

A taut and totally gripping story. When Bree's young son is kidnapped it sets in motion events that will change her life forever. Full of secrets and lies it hurtled along at a great pace.. As a big fan of Joshilyns books I can heartily recommend this.

This was a really slow burner for me. Although it grabbed me at the beginning it then rumbled along with a good story but did climax to an absolutely blinding ending. As a mother there were times where I didn’t think I could read what was happening to both Bree and Coral and I was constantly asking what I would do in that situation. Definitely worth a read.

This book didn't waste any time getting going while still giving us a good feeling for the characters.

With the abduction of the youngest child of a content wealthy mother of three, Bree Cabbat, I did wonder if we were going to go down a path too frequently travelled in thrillers of late for me. But the twists hit early and hard leaving me gripped.

Jackson again demonstrates a writing style that gets me on board with characters I would usually have little regard for, making me desperate to find out their fate.

I really enjoyed this book. Someone has taken Bree's baby son, leaving a note telling her to go home, tell no one and wait for instructions. How far would you go to get your baby back? Bree is about to find out. This is a fast paced story of revenge, love and consent. It will keep you guessing to the end. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

Bree Cabbat is the wife of a wealthy lawyer with a privileged background. She has a comfortable life as a stay at home mother with two young teenage daughters and a ten week old baby Robert. The family can afford a big house and private schools for the girls, but Bree has never forgotten that she grew up as the impoverished child of a single mother. A love for acting led her to study drama at college and to eventually adopt the more confident persona that enabled her to meet and marry her husband Trey and hold her own in her husband's world.

The novel starts off with the feel of a gothic fairy tale with the sighting of an elderly witch like woman followed by the kidnapping of Bree's baby from inside the performance space at her daughters' school. With her husband away on a business trip, Bree races home, as instructed by a note left for her, expecting the kidnapper to contact her with a ransom demand. However, rather than money, the kidnapper has revenge for a past crime in mind and Bree must decide how far she is prepared to go to save her baby. As the plot develops, we discover she is not the only mother prepared to give her life for her child.

This is a very tense domestic thriller with dark undertones. It's a tale not just of mothers and their children, but of how money and power can bury the sins of the wealthy, while one mistake can ruin the whole life of the underprivileged.

After a steady beginning to introduce all the characters and their backgrounds, Bree's fear and panic drive the pace as she and her friend Marshall, an ex policeman, frantically search to establish the identity of the kidnapper and the reason Bree's child was targeted. Bree is very easy to relate to as a good friend and mother and her fear was palpable, making for an intense read. Although, I felt the ending was a tad over the top and would have preferred a more realistic resolution, overall I enjoyed this gripping suspense.

This book is full of ups and downs. It starts with a family of 5. Mom, dad, two daughters and a baby boy of a few weeks. Bree woke up early one morning to see a shadow outside her window. She dismissed it. She was helping out at a school rehearsal. Peyton, her daughter, was looking after the baby and Bree was a row in front. Once the rehearsal finished Bree went to take her girls and the baby home. Robert, the baby was missing. There was a note to say she must go straight home if she wanted to get her son back. A bag on her front door has a mobile phone in. Once home the phone rings and gives Bree her instructions. A friend of hers, the husband of her best friend who had passed away, decided things were not right having seen Bree at a work party which she said she would not attend and she decided to trust him into helping to find the kidnapper. Things get very difficult. Coral is the mother of a student at university. Lexie got involved in drugs, Bree’s husband and his work partner Spencer, had a thing with Lexie, it was photographed by another student and distributed photographs around the university. This sent Lexie into a decline and her mother decided to harm the three men involved. As the story goes on it takes you through trying to find Lexie and trying to find where Coral could be staying with Robert. Bree’s husband, Trey, is devastated to find that Robert has been taken away through something he did as a student. It all comes good and the book was a real pleasure to read

Worlds away from her poor upbringing, Bree is now a successful woman in a very happy marriage with wealthy husband Trey who she shares children Anna-Claire, Peyton and baby Robert with. Bree’s life couldn’t be going any better until the unthinkable happens - baby Robert is kidnapped in broad daylight at her daughters’ school while she is momentarily distracted. Growing up, her mother had always impressed upon her that the world is a dangerous and scary place and Bree had always dismissed these unfounded anxieties but faced with her worst nightmare, she is forced to acknowledge the truth in her mother’s warnings...

Stories that centre around kidnappings always give me chills but the author has really ramped up the creepiness in this book and I was on edge pretty much the whole way through. Bree is a very likeable character, she is completely down-to-earth, despite her rags to riches story, and is a clearly devoted mother which makes her horrifying ordeal all the more tragic.

In my experience, most fictional tales of kidnapping are usually portrayed in the same style but the plot of Mother May I is intricate and contains a number of factors and long buried secrets that have led to Robert being kidnapped which made for a very captivating read. Although the pace is pretty steady, especially in the first half of the book, the author is clearly setting the scene and providing context for the absolute shit storm that goes down in the second half - the level of suspense was slowly but surely elevated until I genuinely couldn’t put my kindle down because I HAD to know how everything unfolded.

The only thing that slightly let me down was the ending - after the drama and action toward the end of the story, I was expecting a conclusion that was a bit more in keeping with the rest of the book however it was still a very enjoyable and worthwhile read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing plc for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Bree Cabbat has a lovely life, she’s married to wealthy Trey, they have two daughters and a recently born baby boy, Robert. One early morning Bree sees something through the semi drawn curtains which unsettles her but she tells herself that she’s dreaming however it proves to be an ill omen. Later that day at her daughters show rehearsal whilst her back is briefly turned, her life becomes a living nightmare. There’s a note informing her if she ever wants to see Robert again she has to go straight home. The story is told by Bree and Marshall an ex-cop, whom she has known for many years.

The first part of the novel is really good with the tension and panic coming across very strongly and you sense it in every fibre of Bree’s being. It becomes clear very quickly that they’re dealing with someone heartless and part of this is really shocking. The dangerous game of cat and mouse between Bree and the perpetrator is also good and there’s an aura of suspense crackling between them.

However, parts 2 and 3 are not in the same league as the first having an inconsistent pace. It slows down as we get Marshall’s rambling thoughts and a lot about Bree’s past which apart from giving some context to the dialogue between her and the perpetrator, I don’t think we needed all the details as it only serves to draw the storyline out and detracts from the main event. Some of Bree’s reactions don’t entirely make sense to me and they feel somewhat unrealistic. There are certainly some good twists but it’s not especially thrilling. The ending seems overly dramatic and then it’s all to neatly tied in a bow.

Overall, it’s very good and gripping in places, the premise is also good but in my view it lacks consistency hence the rating.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Bloomsbury Publishing, Raven Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

This was my first book from this author and will not be my last.

It was a great story I didn't know what to expect but i really enjoyed it. once i started I couldn't put it down liked the writing,

gripping story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

This action packed novel moves along at breakneck speed until the epilogue. It would work well as an adaptation for TV too. I enjoyed every word.

Mother May I is a psychological thriller that will shock you. After reading and loving Never Have I Ever I knew that this would be a wild one and I wasn’t disappointed. It is dark and unsettling but at the same time addictive and exciting.

What would you do for your child? That is the question that Bree must ask herself when her child is kidnapped. She is given strict instructions on what must happen in order to see her son again. She must do whatever it takes and she does. And I felt it could get worse it does, starting a chain of events that will make her question everything she thought she knew about those that she loves.

There are some disturbing scenes and themes in this one but a lot of important ones as well. A story of family, relationships, trust and loyalty and love. I found it hard to put down in the end.

Thanks to Bloomsbury for my advanced copy of this book to read.

I’d seen a lot of my favourite bookish creators talking about this book so I knew that I would enjoy it. But I wasn’t quite prepared for how wild this ride would be. The stakes are high. Twists lie around every corner. And every time you breathe a sigh of relief, you realise that there are so many pages left so you’re hit with a wave of anxiety.

There are a lot of triggering elements to this book so I recommend checking out content warnings where possible.

There were many things that I enjoyed about Mother May I. It has a villain who is somehow both human and presenting demonic levels of pure evil. It tackles the sexual entitlement of men and the #MeToo movement really well, in multiple ways. I really enjoyed how action packed this book is, even though the chapters felt a bit too long for me, the content itself was genuinely compelling to the point that I struggled to put it down and was keen to pick it back up! I also really enjoyed the light romance element.

All in all, a highly enjoyable read! Joshilyn Jackson was an entirely new-to-me author but I’m definitely interested in reading more of their work after this one.

This title was a rollercoaster and had incredible twists that I didn't see coming. Although the ending seemed a bit rushed, I found that the writing kept me wanting to know more and I was at the edge of my seat on my occasions. The book raised many thought-provoking topics including rape, drug addiction, and what it means to be a mother so it was a very interesting read all in all.

A rollercoaster of a book: you sit down, get a bit anxious then are petrified and hold your breath wanting it to end as fast as possible because you are not sure your heart can take it. When a sordid event form the past fractures the life of a seemingly perfect couple, a race against time starts to save their missing baby,
A real tour de force with relatable characters and a strong plot which keeps you on the edge until the very last page.

Wow! What a ride, I have just finished this book and my mind is still whirling!
What would you do to get your child back? How far would you go? This s is the dilemma that Bree Cabbat faces when her baby son is taken one day. The kidnapper leaves instructions for her to follow and a telephone, which they speak on while Bree is told what she has to do to keep her son safe and see him again.
Just what is behind the kidnap? Why has Bree been chosen?
I could not put this book down, it just kept me hooked from page 1. I felt the connection between the characters and their reasons for doing the things they did.
This delves in to the passion of motherhood and just how far a mother will go to save her child..
Highly recommend.

A gripping and thought provoking domestic suspense about motherhood, family, privilege and revenge!

Imagine you wake up and see a witch looking in your bedroom window, it was just your imagination right?! A bad dream?! What if you saw her again, and then your baby went missing... This is what happened to Bree Cabbat! Who is the woman? What does she want? And what will Bree do to get him back?

This was my second book by Joshilyn Jackson, and I enjoyed them both!

Mother May I did start out a bit slow, and like a fairy-tale, but I stuck with it and quickly became hooked! It wasn't a fast paced thriller, but it was dark, nail-biting and shocking in places. It definitely held my attention, with it's menacing feeling as I discovered that bad decisions in your past can sometimes deservedly come back to haunt you.

Bree, the narrator was likeable, and the more I got to know her, the more depth she had to her character. It was stressful reading about her baby being kidnapped, and the writing made me feel both terrified and emotional because I could feel her terror! I just wanted Bree to find her baby alive, and for everything to be ok. I really couldn't say what I would do in her position, but I suspect I, like Bree, would also do what I could to get my baby back!

As well as keeping me entertained, Mother May I made me think about how well we know the people in our lives? It made me think about trust, loyalty and honesty. But it especially made me angry that certain people can get away with things they did when they were younger, and others can not. How one event can be shrugged off by one party, but ruin the other person's life. We see it in real life, how the rich and the privileged do sometimes coast through life with little repercussions, and it's wrong.

As much as I enjoyed the building suspense, I couldn't give this book five stars because I wasn't keen on the ending. It was a bit cliché and a little too perfectly wrapped up for me, which didn't tie in with the dark, edgy feel from the rest of the book.

Nevertheless, this was a suspenseful read, with a gorgeous cover! I've also heard that the audio, narrated by the author is pretty good!👶👶👶👶

An enjoyable if slightly long-winded tale. I did enjoy the two storylines, both of which were dark and disturbing, and I thought it all came together very well at slightly surprising ending. Recommended.

This is my second book by Joshilyn Jackson and again I enjoyed it.
This novel covers some dark subjects but they are addressed well. The characters are well developed and believable, though not all of them likeable.
I enjoyed the way the story developed and I did not predict the way things would unfold.
Totally recommended

A decent thriller with plenty of deceit of baddies. The storyline was a bit predictable, however it was written well enough to still be enjoyable.